Vehicular vision system with electronic control unit

ABSTRACT

A vehicular vision system includes an electronic control unit disposed at a vehicle, and a camera disposed at the vehicle. The electronic control unit includes an image processor. The camera has an imager that captures image data. A cable is electrically connected (i) at an electrical connector of the electronic control unit and (ii) at an electrical connector the rear backup camera. The cable carries DC power from the electronic control unit to the camera. The cable carries, from the electronic control unit to the camera, data used for control of the imager of the respective camera. The cable carries image data captured by the imager of the camera to the electronic control unit. Image data carried by the cable to the electronic control unit is processed at the electronic control unit.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/852,657, filed Apr. 20, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,252,376,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/105,234,filed Aug. 20, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,630,940, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/195,136, filed Mar.3, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,057,544, which claims the filing benefitsof U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/772,015, filed Mar. 4, 2013,which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to imaging systems or vision systems forvehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Use of imaging sensors in vehicle imaging systems is common and known.Examples of such known systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,949,331; 5,670,935 and/or 5,550,677, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a vision system or imaging system for avehicle that utilizes one or more cameras to capture images exterior ofthe vehicle, and provides the communication/data signals, includingcamera data or image data that may be displayed or processed to providethe desired display images and/or processing and control, depending onthe particular application of the camera and vision or imaging system.

The present invention provides a vision system that comprises an imagerfor an automotive camera that has integrated physical layer components.The present invention provides image data transfer to remote imageprocessing devices, such as to a compartment display, head unit orECU/MCU. The data transfer system of the present invention may use onedifferential data line (such as via low-voltage differential signalingor LVDS), which may be bidirectional, whereby the back channel is usedfor control. Optionally, a monodirectional LVDS interface may be used,whereby the control channel may be embodied by a separate cameracommunication interface.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of thepresent invention will become apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle with a vision system and imagingsensors or cameras that provide exterior fields of view in accordancewith the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematics of vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising atwisted wire connection in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematics of other vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising atwisted wire connection in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematics of vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising acoaxial cable connection in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematics of other vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising acoaxial cable connection in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematics of other vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising acoaxial cable connection in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematics of other vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising acoaxial cable connection in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematics of other vision system wiring connectionsbetween an imager and a processor or data receiving device comprising acoaxial cable connection in accordance with the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A driver assist system and/or vision system and/or object detectionsystem and/or alert system may operate to capture images exterior of thevehicle and process the captured image data to detect objects at or nearthe vehicle and in the predicted path of the vehicle, such as to assista driver of the vehicle in maneuvering the vehicle in a rearwarddirection. The object detection may utilize detection and analysis ofmoving vectors representative of objects detected in the field of viewof the vehicle camera, in order to determine which detected objects areobjects of interest to the driver of the vehicle, such as when thedriver of the vehicle undertakes a reversing maneuver.

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depictedtherein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12that includes one or more imaging sensors or cameras (such as a rearwardfacing imaging sensor or camera 14 a and/or a forwardly facing camera 14b at the front (or at the windshield) of the vehicle, and/or asidewardly/rearwardly facing camera 14 c, 14 b at the sides of thevehicle), which capture images exterior of the vehicle, with the camerashaving a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array or imagingplane of the camera (FIG. 1). The vision system 12 is operable toprocess image data captured by the cameras and may provide displayedimages at a display device 16 for viewing by the driver of the vehicle.Optionally, the vision system may process image data to detect objects,such as objects to the rear of the subject or equipped vehicle during areversing maneuver, or such as approaching or following vehicles orvehicles at a side lane adjacent to the subject or equipped vehicle orthe like.

Automotive cameras use data transfer interfaces that may be integratedin the camera's PCB circuits for communicating to devices or componentsof a vehicle vision system that are exterior or remote from the camera.Such automotive cameras do not use data transfer interfaces that areintegrated in or to the camera's imager or imaging array forcommunicating to devices or components of a vehicle vision system thatare exterior or remote from the camera. As described in InternationalPublication No. WO 2013/081985, which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety, suggests to use imager integrated datadecoders and drivers for image data transfer.

There are several Camera Serial Interface standards from the MIPIAlliance. The latest Standard is CSI-3 besides CSI-1 and CSI-2. All aremeant for transfer of image data over short distances such as across aPCB. A typical use case is to interconnect a mobile phone camera withthe mobile phone image data engine across a mobile phones PCB lines.Data lines and clock signals are typically mono directional, and the CCIcontrol link works bidirectional. That means that most of the data areflowing from the imager to the data engine. The data rate is specifiedto be from 1 Gbps up to 6 Gbps. See, for example, the Camera InterfaceSpecifications on the MIPI alliance® website:[http://www.mipi.org/specifications/camera-interface#CSI3].

The present invention utilizes, but is not limited to, an imager-basedMIPI D-PHY or M-PHY (and parts of CSI x) for automotive camera imagedata transfer to remote image processing devices, such as to acompartment display, compartment projector, head unit or ECU / MCU. MIPIis an interconnect protocol offering several key advantages: strongmodularity allowing minimizing power but also reaching high bandwidthwhen necessary (such as 6 Gbps, or 12 Gbps or the like), a guaranteedinteroperability between an Application Processor and peripheral ICcoming from different sources (such as camera controllers (CMOS imagesensors), display controller, RF modem, audio codec and the like). MIPIis a bi-directional high speed serial differential signaling protocol,power consumption optimized and dedicated to mobile devices, and can beused to interface chips within the system, at the board level. It uses acontroller (digital) and a mixed signal PHY. The D-PHY technology uses,for example, two clock wires per direction plus two signal wires perlane and per direction. For example a D-PHY might use two wires for theclock and four wires (two lanes) for the data in the forward direction,but two wires for the clock and six wires (three lanes) for the data inthe reverse direction. Data traffic in the forward and reversedirections are totally independent at this level of the protocol stack.The preferred solution may use one differential data line (LVDS), whichmay be bidirectional. The back channel is used for control. Optionally,a monodirectional LVDS interface may be used, whereby the controlchannel may be embodied by a separate camera communication interface,such as a I2C, UART, LIN, CAN or SPI interface or the like. Optionally,a LVDS converter may come into use. As an alternative option, there maybe an optical data line in use and having electrical to optical signalconverters (sending node) and optical to electrical signal converters(receiving node), such as described, for example, on Meticom's website:http://www.meticom.com/page3/page31/DPHY_to_Optics.html.

In either case, the imager may have an additional logic for coping withthe prolonged line length by using error correction, error and linkstatus checking and for encoding the image data stream in a DC-balancedformat (such as, for example, 8b10b encoding), either with or withoutadditional parity or error correction information. The preferredembodiment of the image data receiving device may be aField-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) comprising a multi standard(multiple protocols, multiple voltages, multiple (en-)coding schemes)PHY and parity processing logic (beside other functions). Optionally,error correction and/or error and link status checking may be done onthe multi standard PHY side. Optionally, the present invention may useshielded (STP) or unshielded (UTP) twisted pair lines (such as shown inFIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B) or coaxial cable for transferring LVDS (such asshown in the embodiments of FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A and8B). Optionally, the camera's DC power supply may run over the samelines as the LVDS provided by the image receiving device, such as byutilizing aspects of the systems described in International PublicationNo. WO 2013/043661, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

Optionally, the signal may be modulated to and transferred via an analogcarrier wave by any kind of signal modulation (AM, FM, QAM or the like).The modulator may be a frequency adder (or mixer), and the demodulationat the corresponding other end may be a frequency filter, such as byutilizing aspects of the systems described in U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 61/833,080, filed Jun. 10, 2013, which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also, as such asdescribed in U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/833,080, the dataline may comprise a coaxial cable. Optionally, the same cable may carryalso DC power (supply). Optionally, there may be one or two carrier eachfor each MIPI D-PHY signal of optionally one imager each or severalmultiplexed to less carriers or bandwidths (time-division multiplex,space-division multiplex, frequency-division multiplex).

The system may find use of aspects described in InternationalPublication No. WO 2013/081985 (which is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety), suggesting several combinations of videodata and camera control linking in between cameras, head units, bus gateway nodes, image processing ECUs and/or auxiliary devices such as likesmart phones or the like.

The system includes an image processor operable to process image datacaptured by the camera or cameras, such as for detecting objects orother vehicles or pedestrians or the like in the field of view of one ormore of the cameras. For example, the image processor may comprise anEyeQ2 or EyeQ3 image processing chip available from Mobileye VisionTechnologies Ltd. of Jerusalem, Israel, and may include object detectionsoftware (such as the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,855,755;7,720,580 and/or 7,038,577, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties), and may analyze image data to detectvehicles and/or other objects. Responsive to such image processing, andwhen an object or other vehicle is detected, the system may generate analert to the driver of the vehicle and/or may generate an overlay at thedisplayed image to highlight or enhance display of the detected objector vehicle, in order to enhance the driver's awareness of the detectedobject or vehicle or hazardous condition during a driving maneuver ofthe equipped vehicle.

The camera or sensor may comprise any suitable camera or sensor.Optionally, the camera may comprise a “smart camera” that includes theimaging sensor array and associated circuitry and image processingcircuitry and electrical connectors and the like as part of a cameramodule, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systems described inInternational Publication Nos. WO 2013/081984 and/or WO 2013/081985,which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The vehicle may include any type of sensor or sensors, such as imagingsensors or radar sensors or lidar sensors or ladar sensors or ultrasonicsensors or the like. The imaging sensor or camera may capture image datafor image processing and may comprise any suitable camera or sensingdevice, such as, for example, a two dimensional array of a plurality ofphotosensor elements arranged in at least 640 columns and 480 rows (atleast a 640×480 imaging array, such as a megapixel imaging array or thelike), with a respective lens focusing images onto respective portionsof the array. The photosensor array may comprise a plurality ofphotosensor elements arranged in a photosensor array having rows andcolumns. Preferably, the imaging array has at least 300,000 photosensorelements or pixels, more preferably at least 500,000 photosensorelements or pixels and more preferably at least 1 million photosensorelements or pixels. The imaging array may capture color image data, suchas via spectral filtering at the array, such as via an RGB (red, greenand blue) filter or via a red/red complement filter or such as via anRCC (red, clear, clear) filter or the like. The logic and controlcircuit of the imaging sensor may function in any known manner, and theimage processing and algorithmic processing may comprise any suitablemeans for processing the images and/or image data.

For example, the vision system and/or processing and/or camera and/orcircuitry may utilize aspects described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,005,974;5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,796,094; 5,949,331; 6,222,447; 6,302,545;6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202; 6,201,642; 6,690,268;6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452; 6,822,563; 6,891,563;6,946,978; 7,859,565; 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 6,636,258; 7,145,519;7,161,616; 7,230,640; 7,248,283; 7,295,229; 7,301,466; 7,592,928;7,881,496; 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 6,882,287; 5,929,786 and/or 5,786,772,and/or International Publication Nos. WO 2011/028686; WO 2010/099416; WO2012/061567; WO 2012/068331; WO 2012/075250; WO 2012/103193; WO2012/0116043; WO 2012/0145313; WO 2012/0145501; WO 2012/145818; WO2012/145822; WO 2012/158167; WO 2012/075250; WO 2012/0116043; WO2012/0145501; WO 2012/154919; WO 2013/019707; WO 2013/016409; WO2013/019795; WO 2013/067083; WO 2013/070539; WO 2013/043661; WO2013/048994; WO 2013/063014, WO 2013/081984; WO 2013/081985; WO2013/074604; WO 2013/086249; WO 2013/103548; WO 2013/109869; WO2013/123161; WO 2013/126715; WO 2013/043661 and/or WO 2013/158592,and/or U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 14/169,329, filed Jan. 31,2014, and published on Aug. 7, 2014 as U.S. patent publication No.US-2014-0218529; Ser. No. 14/169,328, filed Jan. 31, 2014, now U.S. Pat.No. 9,092,986; Ser. No. 14/163,325, filed Jan. 24, 2014, and publishedon Jul. 31, 2014 as U.S. patent publication No. US-2014/0211009; Ser.No. 14/159,772, filed Jan. 21, 2014, now U.S. Pat. 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No. 13/774,315, filed Feb.22, 2013, and published Aug. 22, 2013 as U.S. patent publication No.US-2013-0215271; Ser. No. 13/681,963, filed Nov. 20, 2012, now U.S. Pat.No. 9,264,673; Ser. No. 13/660,306, filed Oct. 25, 2012, now U.S. Pat.No. 9,146,898; Ser. No. 13/653,577, filed Oct. 17, 2012, now U.S. Pat.No. 9,174,574; and/or Ser. No. 13/534,657, filed Jun. 27, 2012, andpublished Jan. 3, 2013 as U.S. patent publication No. US-2013-0002873,and/or U.S. provisional applications, Ser. No. 61/935,485, filed Feb. 4,2014; Ser. No. 61/935,057, filed Feb. 3, 2014; Ser. No. 61/935,056,filed Feb. 3, 2014; Ser. No. 61/935,055, filed Feb. 3, 2014; Ser. No.61/931,811, filed Jan. 27, 2014; Ser. No. 61/919,129, filed Dec. 20,2013; Ser. No. 61/919,130, filed Dec. 20, 2013; Ser. No. 61/919,131,filed Dec. 20, 2013; Ser. No. 61/919,147, filed Dec. 20, 2013; Ser. No.61/919,138, filed Dec. 20, 2013, Ser. No. 61/919,133, filed Dec. 20,2013; Ser. No. 61/918,290, filed Dec. 19, 2013; Ser. No. 61/915,218,filed Dec. 12, 2013; Ser. No. 61/912,146, filed Dec. 5, 2013; Ser. No.61/911,666, filed Dec. 4, 2013; Ser. No. 61/911,665, filed Dec. 4, 2013;Ser. No. 61/905,461, filed Nov. 18, 2013; Ser. No. 61/905,462, filedNov. 18, 2013; Ser. No. 61/901,127, filed Nov. 7, 2013; Ser. No.61/895,610, filed Oct. 25, 2013; Ser. No. 61/895,609, filed Oct. 25,2013; Ser. No. 61/879,837, filed Sep. 19, 2013; Ser. No. 61/879,835,filed Sep. 19, 2013; Ser. No. 61/878,877, filed Sep. 17, 2013; Ser. No.61/875,351, filed Sep. 9, 2013; Ser. No. 61/869,195, filed. Aug. 23,2013; Ser. No. 61/864,835, filed Aug. 12, 2013; Ser. No. 61/864,836,filed Aug. 12, 2013; Ser. No. 61/864,837, filed Aug. 12, 2013; Ser. No.61/864,838, filed Aug. 12, 2013; Ser. No. 61/856,843, filed Jul. 22,2013, Ser. No. 61/845,061, filed Jul. 11, 2013; Ser. No. 61/844,630,filed Jul. 10, 2013; Ser. No. 61/844,173, filed Jul. 9, 2013; Ser. No.61/844,171, filed Jul. 9, 2013; Ser. No. 61/842,644, filed Jul. 3, 2013;Ser. No. 61/840,542, filed Jun. 28, 2013; Ser. No. 61/838,619, filedJun. 24, 2013; Ser. No. 61/838,621, filed Jun. 24, 2013; Ser. No.61/837,955, filed Jun. 21, 2013; Ser. No. 61/836,900, filed Jun. 19,2013; Ser. No. 61/836,380, filed Jun. 18, 2013; Ser. No. 61/833,080,filed Jun. 10, 2013; Ser. No. 61/830,375, filed Jun. 3, 2013; Ser. No.61/830,377, filed Jun. 3, 2013; Ser. No. 61/825,752, filed May 21, 2013;Ser. No. 61/825,753, filed May 21, 2013; Ser. No. 61/823,648, filed May15, 2013; Ser. No. 61/823,644, filed May 15, 2013; Ser. No. 61/821,922,filed May 10, 2013; Ser. No. 61/819,835, filed May 6, 2013; Ser. No.61/819,033, filed May 3, 2013; Ser. No. 61/816,956, filed Apr. 29, 2013;Ser. No. 61/815,044, filed Apr. 23, 2013; Ser. No. 61/814,533, filedApr. 22, 2013; Ser. No. 61/813,361, filed Apr. 18, 2013; Ser. No.61/810,407, filed Apr. 10, 2013; Ser. No. 61/808,930, filed Apr. 5,2013; Ser. No. 61/806,674, filed Mar. 29, 2013; Ser. No. 61/793,592,filed Mar. 15, 2013; Ser. No. 61/772,015, filed Mar. 4, 2013; Ser. No.61/772,014, filed Mar. 4, 2013; Ser. No. 61/770,051, filed Feb. 27,2013; and/or Ser. No. 61/766,883, filed Feb. 20, 2013, which are allhereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The systemmay communicate with other communication systems via any suitable means,such as by utilizing aspects of the systems described in InternationalPublication Nos. WO 2010/144900; WO 2013/043661 and/or WO 2013/081985,and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/202,005, filed Aug. 17, 2011,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,126,525, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

The imaging device and control and image processor and any associatedillumination source, if applicable, may comprise any suitablecomponents, and may utilize aspects of the cameras and vision systemsdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,877,897; 6,498,620; 5,670,935;5,796,094; 6,396,397; 6,806,452; 6,690,268; 7,005,974; 7,937,667;7,123,168; 7,004,606; 6,946,978; 7,038,577; 6,353,392; 6,320,176;6,313,454 and 6,824,281, and/or International Publication Nos. WO2010/099416; WO 2011/028686 and/or WO 2013/016409, and/or U.S. Pat.Publication No. US 2010-0020170, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/534,657, filed Jun. 27, 2012, and published Jan. 3, 2013 as U.S.patent publication No. US-2013-0002873, which are all herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The camera orcameras may comprise any suitable cameras or imaging sensors or cameramodules, and may utilize aspects of the cameras or sensors described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/260,400, filed Sep. 26, 2011, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,542,451, and/or U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,965,336 and/or7,480,149, and/or U.S. Pat. Publication No. US-2009-0244361, which arehereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The imagingarray sensor may comprise any suitable sensor, and may utilize variousimaging sensors or imaging array sensors or cameras or the like, such asa CMOS imaging array sensor, a CCD sensor or other sensors or the like,such as the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935;5,760,962; 5,715,093; 5,877,897; 6,922,292; 6,757,109; 6,717,610;6,590,719; 6,201,642; 6,498,620; 5,796,094; 6,097,023; 6,320,176;6,559,435; 6,831,261; 6,806,452; 6,396,397; 6,822,563; 6,946,978;7,339,149; 7,038,577; 7,004,606; 7,720,580 and/or 7,965,336, and/orInternational Publication Nos. WO 2009/036176 and/or WO 2009/046268,which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

The camera module and circuit chip or board and imaging sensor may beimplemented and operated in connection with various vehicularvision-based systems, and/or may be operable utilizing the principles ofsuch other vehicular systems, such as a vehicle headlamp control system,such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,796,094; 6,097,023;6,320,176; 6,559,435; 6,831,261; 7,004,606; 7,339,149 and/or 7,526,103,which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties, a rain sensor, such as the types disclosed in commonlyassigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,353,392; 6,313,454; 6,320,176 and/or7,480,149, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties, a vehicle vision system, such as a forwardly, sidewardly orrearwardly directed vehicle vision system utilizing principles disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,550,677; 5,670,935; 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 5,949,331;6,222,447; 6,302,545; 6,396,397; 6,498,620; 6,523,964; 6,611,202;6,201,642; 6,690,268; 6,717,610; 6,757,109; 6,802,617; 6,806,452;6,822,563; 6,891,563; 6,946,978 and/or 7,859,565, which are all herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a trailer hitchingaid or tow check system, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.7,005,974, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, a reverse or sideward imaging system, such as for a lanechange assistance system or lane departure warning system or for a blindspot or object detection system, such as imaging or detection systems ofthe types disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,720,580; 7,038,577; 5,929,786and/or 5,786,772, and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/239,980,filed Sep. 30, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,881,496, and/or U.S.provisional applications, Ser. No. 60/628,709, filed Nov. 17, 2004; Ser.No. 60/614,644, filed Sep. 30, 2004; Ser. No. 60/618,686, filed Oct. 14,2004; Ser. No. 60/638,687, filed Dec. 23, 2004, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a video device forinternal cabin surveillance and/or video telephone function, such asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,760,962; 5,877,897; 6,690,268 and/or7,370,983, and/or U.S. Pat. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, which arehereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, a trafficsign recognition system, a system for determining a distance to aleading or trailing vehicle or object, such as a system utilizing theprinciples disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,396,397 and/or 7,123,168, whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and/orthe like.

Optionally, the circuit board or chip may include circuitry for theimaging array sensor and or other electronic accessories or features,such as by utilizing compass-on-a-chip or EC driver-on-a-chip technologyand aspects such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,255,451 and/or U.S.Pat. No. 7,480,149; and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/578,732,filed Oct. 14, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,487,144, and/or U.S.Publication No. US-2006-0061008, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

Optionally, the vision system may include a display for displayingimages captured by one or more of the imaging sensors for viewing by thedriver of the vehicle while the driver is normally operating thevehicle. Optionally, for example, the vision system may include a videodisplay device disposed at or in the interior rearview mirror assemblyof the vehicle, such as by utilizing aspects of the video mirror displaysystems described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,268 and/or U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/333,337, filed Dec. 21, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.9,264,672, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties. The video mirror display may comprise any suitable devicesand systems and optionally may utilize aspects of the compass displaysystems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,370,983; 7,329,013; 7,308,341;7,289,037; 7,249,860; 7,004,593; 4,546,551; 5,699,044; 4,953,305;5,576,687; 5,632,092; 5,677,851; 5,708,410; 5,737,226; 5,802,727;5,878,370; 6,087,953; 6,173,508; 6,222,460; 6,513,252 and/or 6,642,851,and/or European patent application, published Oct. 11, 2000 underPublication No. EP 0 1043566, and/or U.S. Pat. Publication No.US-2006-0061008, which are all hereby incorporated herein by referencein their entireties. Optionally, the video mirror display screen ordevice may be operable to display images captured by a rearward viewingcamera of the vehicle during a reversing maneuver of the vehicle (suchas responsive to the vehicle gear actuator being placed in a reversegear position or the like) to assist the driver in backing up thevehicle, and optionally may be operable to display the compass headingor directional heading character or icon when the vehicle is notundertaking a reversing maneuver, such as when the vehicle is beingdriven in a forward direction along a road (such as by utilizing aspectsof the display system described in International Publication No. WO2012/051500, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety).

Optionally, the vision system (utilizing the forward facing camera and arearward facing camera and other cameras disposed at the vehicle withexterior fields of view) may be part of or may provide a display of atop-down view or birds-eye view system of the vehicle or a surround viewat the vehicle, such as by utilizing aspects of the vision systemsdescribed in International Publication Nos. WO 2010/099416; WO2011/028686; WO 2012/075250; WO 2013/019795; WO 2012/075250; WO2012/145822; WO 2013/081985; WO 2013/086249 and/or WO 2013/109869,and/or U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/333,337, filed Dec. 21, 2011,now U.S. Pat. No. 9,264,672, which are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

Optionally, a video mirror display may be disposed rearward of andbehind the reflective element assembly of an interior rearview mirrorassembly of the vehicle and may comprise a display such as the typesdisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,530,240; 6,329,925; 7,855,755; 7,626,749;7,581,859; 7,446,650; 7,370,983; 7,338,177; 7,274,501; 7,255,451;7,195,381; 7,184,190; 5,668,663; 5,724,187 and/or 6,690,268, and/or inU.S. Pat. Publication Nos. US-2006-0061008 and/or US-2006-0050018, whichare all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Thedisplay is viewable through the reflective element when the display isactivated to display information. The display element may be any type ofdisplay element, such as a vacuum fluorescent (VF) display element, alight emitting diode (LED) display element, such as an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) or an inorganic light emitting diode, anelectroluminescent (EL) display element, a liquid crystal display (LCD)element, a video screen display element or backlit thin film transistor(TFT) display element or the like, and may be operable to displayvarious information (as discrete characters, icons or the like, or in amulti-pixel manner) to the driver of the vehicle, such as passenger sideinflatable restraint (PSIR) information, tire pressure status, and/orthe like. The mirror assembly and/or display may utilize aspectsdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,184,190; 7,255,451; 7,446,924 and/or7,338,177, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties. The thicknesses and materials of the coatings on thesubstrates of the reflective element may be selected to provide adesired color or tint to the mirror reflective element, such as a bluecolored reflector, such as is known in the art and such as described inU.S. Pat. Nos. 5,910,854; 6,420,036 and/or 7,274,501, which are herebyincorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Optionally, the display or displays and any associated user inputs maybe associated with various accessories or systems, such as, for example,a tire pressure monitoring system or a passenger air bag status or agarage door opening system or a telematics system or any other accessoryor system of the mirror assembly or of the vehicle or of an accessorymodule or console of the vehicle, such as an accessory module or consoleof the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,289,037; 6,877,888;6,824,281; 6,690,268; 6,672,744; 6,386,742 and/or 6,124,886, and/or U.S.Pat. Publication No. US-2006-0050018, which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments maybe carried out without departing from the principles of the presentinvention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of theappended claims as interpreted according to the principles of patentlaw.

1. A vehicular vision system, the vehicular vision system comprising: anelectronic control unit disposed at a vehicle equipped with thevehicular vision system; wherein the electronic control unit comprisesan image processor; a rear backup camera disposed at a rear portion ofthe equipped vehicle and viewing rearward of the equipped vehicle, therear backup camera comprising an imager that captures image data;wherein the imager of the rear backup camera comprises at least onemillion photosensors arranged in a two dimensional array of photosensorshaving multiple rows and multiple columns; a cable, wherein the cable iselectrically connected (i) at an electrical connector of the electroniccontrol unit and (ii) at an electrical connector of the rear backupcamera; wherein the cable comprises shielded twisted pair lines; whereinthe cable carries DC power from the electronic control unit to the rearbackup camera; wherein the cable carries, from the electronic controlunit to the rear backup camera, data used for control of the imager ofthe rear backup camera; wherein the cable carries image data captured bythe imager of the rear backup camera to the electronic control unit; andwherein image data carried by the cable to the electronic control unitis processed at the electronic control unit.
 2. The vehicular visionsystem of claim 1, wherein transfer via the cable of image data capturedby the imager of the rear backup camera to the electronic control unitis at a data rate of at least one gigabit per second.
 3. The vehicularvision system of claim 1, wherein transfer via the cable of image datacaptured by the imager of the rear backup camera to the electroniccontrol unit is at a data rate less than six gigabits per second.
 4. Thevehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein the rear backup camera ispart of a birds-eye view system of the equipped vehicle.
 5. Thevehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein the cable has a length, andwherein data transfer via the cable between the rear backup camera andthe electronic control unit utilizes error correction to cope with thelength of the cable.
 6. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, whereindata transfer via the cable between the rear backup camera and theelectronic control unit utilizes status checking.
 7. The vehicularvision system of claim 1, wherein data transfer via the cable betweenthe rear backup camera and the electronic control unit comprisesencoding of captured image data for communication via the cable.
 8. Thevehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein the rear backup camera usesan MIPI D-PHY interface for interfacing with the electronic controlunit, and wherein the electronic control unit uses an MIPI D-PHYinterface for interfacing with the rear backup camera.
 9. The vehicularvision system of claim 8, wherein the MIPI D-PHY interface comprises aserializer and a deserializer.
 10. The vehicular vision system of claim1, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a multi standardtransceiver.
 11. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein datacarried from the electronic control unit to the rear backup camera viathe cable utilizes a high speed serial differential signaling protocol.12. The vehicular vision system of claim 1, wherein data transfer viathe cable between the rear backup camera and the electronic control unitutilizes parity processing.
 13. The vehicular vision system of claim 1,wherein the image processor comprises an image processing chip operableto image process captured image data.
 14. The vehicular vision system ofclaim 13, wherein responsive to image processing at the electroniccontrol unit, an object present exterior of the equipped vehicle isdetected.
 15. The vehicular vision system of claim 14, whereinresponsive to detection of the object present exterior of the equippedvehicle, a driver of the equipped vehicle is alerted.
 16. The vehicularvision system of claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit comprisesa serializer and a deserializer.
 17. A vehicular vision system, thevehicular vision system comprising: an electronic control unit disposedat a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system; wherein theelectronic control unit comprises an image processor; a forward-viewingcamera disposed at an in-cabin side of a windshield of the equippedvehicle and viewing forward through the windshield of the equippedvehicle, the forward-viewing camera comprising an imager that capturesimage data; wherein the imager of the forward-viewing camera comprisesat least one million photosensors arranged in a two dimensional array ofphotosensors having multiple rows and multiple columns; a cable, whereinthe cable is electrically connected (i) at an electrical connector ofthe electronic control unit and (ii) at an electrical connector of theforward-viewing camera; wherein the cable comprises one selected fromthe group consisting of (i) a single core cable and (ii) shieldedtwisted pair lines; wherein the cable carries DC power from theelectronic control unit to the forward-viewing camera; wherein the cablecarries, from the electronic control unit to the forward-viewing camera,data used for control of the imager of the forward-viewing camera;wherein the cable carries image data captured by the imager of theforward-viewing camera to the electronic control unit; and wherein imagedata carried by the cable to the electronic control unit is processed atthe electronic control unit.
 18. The vehicular vision system of claim17, wherein transfer via the cable of image data captured by the imagerof the forward-viewing camera to the electronic control unit is at adata rate of at least one gigabit per second.
 19. The vehicular visionsystem of claim 17, wherein transfer via the cable of image datacaptured by the imager of the forward-viewing camera to the electroniccontrol unit is at a data rate less than six gigabits per second. 20.The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein the cable has a length,and wherein data transfer via the cable between the forward-viewingcamera and the electronic control unit utilizes error correction to copewith the length of the cable.
 21. The vehicular vision system of claim17, wherein data transfer via the cable between the forward-viewingcamera and the electronic control unit utilizes status checking.
 22. Thevehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein the image processorcomprises an image processing chip operable to image process capturedimage data.
 23. The vehicular vision system of claim 22, whereinresponsive to image processing at the electronic control unit, an objectpresent exterior of the equipped vehicle is detected.
 24. The vehicularvision system of claim 23, wherein, responsive to detection of theobject present exterior of the equipped vehicle, a driver of theequipped vehicle is alerted.
 25. The vehicular vision system of claim17, wherein data transfer via the cable between the forward-viewingcamera and the electronic control unit comprises encoding of capturedimage data for communication via the cable.
 26. The vehicular visionsystem of claim 17, wherein the forward-viewing camera uses an MIPID-PHY interface for interfacing with the electronic control unit, andwherein the electronic control unit uses an MIPI D-PHY interface forinterfacing with the forward-viewing camera.
 27. The vehicular visionsystem of claim 26, wherein the MIPI D-PHY interface comprises aserializer and a deserializer.
 28. The vehicular vision system of claim17, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a multi standardtransceiver.
 29. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein datacarried from the electronic control unit to the forward-viewing cameravia the cable utilizes a high speed serial differential signalingprotocol.
 30. The vehicular vision system of claim 17, wherein datatransfer via the cable between the forward-viewing camera and theelectronic control unit utilizes parity processing.
 31. The vehicularvision system of claim 17, wherein the electronic control unit comprisesa serializer and a deserializer.
 32. A vehicular vision system, thevehicular vision system comprising: an electronic control unit disposedat a vehicle equipped with the vehicular vision system; wherein theelectronic control unit comprises an image processor; wherein theelectronic control unit comprises at least four electrical connectors;at least four cameras disposed at the equipped vehicle, each camera ofthe at least four cameras comprising an imager that captures image data;wherein the at least four cameras comprise (i) a forward-viewing cameradisposed at the equipped vehicle, (ii) a rearward-viewing cameradisposed at of the equipped vehicle, (iii) a driver side-viewing cameradisposed at a driver side portion of the equipped vehicle and (iv) apassenger side-viewing camera disposed at a passenger side portion ofthe equipped vehicle; wherein the imager of each camera of the at leastfour cameras comprises at least one million photosensors arranged in atwo dimensional array of photosensors having multiple rows and multiplecolumns; at least four cables, wherein each respective cable of the atleast four cables is electrically connected (i) at a respectiveelectrical connector of the at least four electrical connectors of theelectronic control unit and (ii) at a respective electrical connector ofa respective camera of the at least four cameras; wherein each cable ofthe at least four cables comprises shielded twisted pair lines; whereineach respective cable of the at least four cables carries DC power fromthe electronic control unit to the respective camera of the at leastfour cameras; wherein each respective cable of the at least four cablescarries, from the electronic control unit to the respective camera ofthe at least four cameras, data used for control of the imager of therespective camera of the at least four cameras; wherein each respectivecable of the at least four cables carries image data captured by theimager of the respective camera of the at least four cameras to theelectronic control unit; and wherein image data carried by therespective cables to the electronic control unit is processed at theelectronic control unit.
 33. The vehicular vision system of claim 32,wherein transfer via the respective cable of image data captured by theimager of each camera of the at least four cameras to the electroniccontrol unit is at a data rate of at least one gigabit per second. 34.The vehicular vision system of claim 32, wherein transfer via therespective cable of image data captured by the imager of each camera ofthe at least four cameras to the electronic control unit is at a datarate less than six gigabits per second.
 35. The vehicular vision systemof claim 32, wherein each cable of the at least four cables used has alength, and wherein data transfer via the respective cable between eachcamera of the at least four cameras and the electronic control unitutilizes error correction to cope with the length of the respectivecable.
 36. The vehicular vision system of claim 32, wherein datatransfer via the respective cable between each camera of the at leastfour cameras and the electronic control unit utilizes status checking.37. The vehicular vision system of claim 32, wherein data transfer viathe respective cable between each camera of the at least four camerasand the electronic control unit comprises encoding of captured imagedata for communication via the respective cable.
 38. The vehicularvision system of claim 32, wherein each camera of the at least fourcameras uses an MIPI D-PHY interface for interfacing with the electroniccontrol unit, and wherein the electronic control unit uses an MIPI D-PHYinterface for interfacing with each respective camera of the at leastfour cameras.
 39. The vehicular vision system of claim 38, wherein eachMIPI D-PHY interface comprises a serializer and a deserializer.
 40. Thevehicular vision system of claim 32, wherein the electronic control unitcomprises a multi standard transceiver.
 41. The vehicular vision systemof claim 32, wherein the image processor comprises an image processingchip operable to image process captured image data.
 42. The vehicularvision system of claim 41, wherein, responsive to image processing atthe electronic control unit, an object present exterior of the equippedvehicle is detected.
 43. The vehicular vision system of claim 42,wherein responsive to detection of the object present exterior of theequipped vehicle, a driver of the equipped vehicle is alerted.
 44. Thevehicular vision system of claim 32, wherein data carried from theelectronic control unit to the respective camera of the at least fourcameras via the respective cable utilizes a high speed serialdifferential signaling protocol.
 45. The vehicular vision system ofclaim 32, wherein data transfer via the respective cable between eachcamera of the at least four cameras and the electronic control unitutilizes parity processing.
 46. The vehicular vision system of claim 32,wherein the electronic control unit comprises a serializer and adeserializer.